Individual Details
Richard BROWNE
(Bef May 1614 - Bet 23 Apr 1661 and 26 Apr 1661)
"Ould Newbury": Historical and Biographical Sketches, John J. Currier, Damrell and Upham, Boston, 1896, has a sketch on Moses Brown (no page number on that page). It starts: "In 1635, Thomas Browne, Richard Browne, George Browne, and James Browne came from Ipswich to Newbury with Rev. Thomas Parker and others, and settled on the north bank of the river Parker, near the Lower Green. ........
Thomas Browne was born near Malford, England, in 1607, and died in Newbury, New England, Jan. 8, 1687."
It goes on to name some children, and the Moses of this sketch is a grandchild.
If this is accurate, it is possible that the four men named are brothers.
http://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/maryjohn2.htm
Lists the passengers who signed the oath of allegiance before leaving London. It says:
Browne Richard
Browne Mrs. Edith
Browne George, son of Richard Browne
List of Freemen of Massachusetts, 1630 - 1691. Lucius R. Paige. Clearfield, Baltimore, 1998. Originally published in The Register III, January, April, July, October 1849 as "List of Freemen", on pg 10, has lists of men who desire to be made "ffreemen". On 19 Oct 1630 is Mr. Rich. Browne and on 18 May 1631, the list indicated that he took the oath of freeman. He is again listed on May 6, 1635. Did he make an earlier trip to America, return for his wife and brother, and come back with them? He must have been here to be on the list.
Art Brown writes this about Richard Browne, starting on pg. 59 of his story:
"The year 1634 was a time of new beginnings for Richard and Edith Browne. They were saying good bye to family members, leaving what they knew, and were moving to an area, which they had not seen, but which they believed held promise for them. They were going with a group of friends who were bound together by a common purpose: to create a community based on their religious convictions. The ship on which they were to sail to New England was the "Mary and John", a vessel of four hundred tons. Disturbed by a report that many of his subjects were leaving England to secure civil and religious liberty, King Charles 1 decided that ten ships ready to sail be detained. On February 14, the King's Privy Council ordered that the" Mary and John" be confined in the river Thames until the men sailing on board her sign an Oath of Supremacy and Allegiance. By this, they would acknowledge the sovereignty of the king over them in the land to which they were sailing.
The Voyage
On the 24 or 26 of March 1634, Richard Browne and his brother George, along with others, took the oath of allegiance to their sovereign, and were allowed to sail for New England. Robert Sayers was the ship's master. A condition for sailing laid down by the king was that Sayers conduct, for passengers and crew, daily readings of the prayers of the Church of England. After a voyage of several weeks, the ship arrived at Boston in the month of May 1634. (The crossing by the " Mary and John" in 1630 took seventy days.) Richard had left behind in England his father, two sisters, and a brother, Michael. A footnote in the New England Historical Genealogical Register (page 374, vol.3) mentions a Sir Walston Browne, a young knight in the household of Henry the 8th, as a supposed ancestor. Richard's wife was Edith Holt.
Puritans
Those sailing on the "Mary and John" were Puritans. The Puritans looked to the Bible as an infallible guide for faith and practice. They desired that English Protestantism be purified from all the forms of faith and worship that were not found in the New Testament. The puritan ethic emphasized a strong sense of duty and promoted courage, self-reliance, prudence, thrift, and good works. It came into being as an effort to correct the loose morals of Elizabethan England. It produced some of the strongest leaders in English history as well as the men and women who were among the first settlers of New England.
Many in the group on board the "Mary and John" were from Wiltshire, Berkshire, and Gloucestershire. Their leader was the Reverend Thomas Parker. Parker's father, Robert Parker, was a clergyman who had done well under the reign of Queen Elizabeth. Cotton Mather describes him as " one of the greatest scholars of the English nation." But with a new monarch on the throne, the Puritans were not in favor. Robert Parker was removed from his pastoral responsibilities for non- conformity. Under these circumstances, Parker's son, Thomas, saw no future in England for himself or those who believed as he did. The new colonies of the Massachusetts Bay Company offered a haven for his religious point of view and those who shared it.
Arriving in Boston, Parker and his group moved on to Ipswich (Agawam). The group remained there through the winter. While they were there, Richard purchased property and built a house "lying neer the great cove of the town river." This house was sold at a later date to Richard Saltonstall, (The Hammet Papers page 38) probably after Richard Browne and his family were settled in Newbury. Since Richard's brother, George, was a carpenter, it is probable that he helped in the building of the house and perhaps he and his wife lived with Richard's family during the stay in Ipswich.
First Settlers of Newbury
In the spring of 1635 a boat load of people, including the families of Richard and George, went by water through Plum sound and followed a river which the Indians called Quascacunquen to the area that was to become their home. Later, they changed the name of the river to Parker, after their leader. They named the new settlement they were establishing "Newbury", because Parker had been a teacher in England in a community with that name. Newbury was the tenth town to be established in the colony.
The first houses in Newbury were temporary structures, roofed with thatch. This type of roof, combined with chimneys made of sticks coated with mud, created the danger of fire. As a safeguard, ladders at each house provided access to the roof. The meeting house bell was rung each night at 9 o'clock to signal the inhabitants to cover the fires in their fireplaces. Later, new, well-built houses were constructed, using timbers of oak or other hard wood. The nails, bolts, and hinges were made by the local blacksmith.
Preparing the land for farming, obtaining food from fishing, caring for the cattle and sheep they had brought over on another ship, the exercise of religious faith, the establishment of government, providing security in the wilderness, became the order of the day. One of the first things they did was to organize a church and select Thomas Parker as their pastor. They selected James Noyes, Parker's nephew and also a clergyman, as assistant pastor. A plan was drawn up showing the lots that were laid out on which the first settlers were to build their homes. At the center of the town was the green. On it was built the meetinghouse where they met for church and for town meetings. The lots were drawn up surrounding the green and the meetinghouse, providing easy access for the town people. Thomas Parker's lot was adjacent to the green as was Richard Browne's. It was also next to Parker's. A sketch of the plan of the lots laid out for the first settlers of Newbury in 1635 is reproduced in Currier's "Ould Newbury" on page 14.
The site for the new community was a desirable one. It had been selected earlier as an area to be developed by a group of Presbyterians who were sailing from Scotland to establish a colony at this location. They were forced to turn back mid-way on their journey when they ran into adverse conditions. The strategy the English had adopted was to colonize this part of North America with Englishmen so that the French, who were further north, would not attempt to take it from them.
Allocation of Land
Joshua Coffin tells how land was allocated to the first settlers of Newbury in his "Sketch of the History of Newbury" page 19. "In the division of the land throughout the town, the first settlers recognized the scripture rule, 'to him that hath shall be given,' and the wealth of each of the grantees, as well as others of the first settlers, can be very nearly estimated, by the number of acres of land, which were granted them." Each of the first settlers was granted a house lot of at least four acres along with a suitable quantity of salt and fresh meadow. With the exception of those whose wealth entitled them to more, most of the grants varied in size from ten to eighty acres. Many later wealthy settlers obtained their land by purchase.
“Liberty to Chuse Prudential Men”
For a year or more all the business of the town was transacted by the group as a whole in the town meetings. This changed in 1636 when the Court that had oversight of all the towns in the Massachusetts Bay Colony recognized the difficulty of towns taking care of every item of business that came up for discussion and decision. They enacted legislation that "every particular township should have power over its own affairs, and liberty to chuse prudential men, not exceeding seven, to order the affaires of the towne." Newbury decided to take advantage of this and selected seven men to look after its affairs. Richard Browne was one of the seven chosen. The Reverend Richard Brown, grandson of Richard and Edith, wrote in his diary "They were chosen from quarter to quarter by papers to discharge the business of the town, in taking in, or refusing any to come, into town, as also to dispose lands and lots, to make lawful orders, to impose fines on the breakers of orders, and also to levy and distrain them, and were fully impowered of themselves to do what the town had power for to do. The reason whereof was, the town judged it inconvenient and burdensome to be called together on every occasion." (Coffin, page 19)
Richard Browne, Selectman and Constable
One function the town continued to perform was the choosing of a constable. From the town records, it appears that Richard Browne was one of the first to be chosen to perform this duty. The records for the town of Newbury prior to 1637 are meager and incomplete. The earliest record relating to constables is found in the record dated April 19, 1638. It indicates that "John Knight and James Browne were chosen constables for one whole year and till new be chosen, and Richard Browne, the last constable, is discharged ". Richard was probably chosen to serve in April 1637 or before. Currier, in his History of Newbury, page 45, relates an incident that happened during Richard Browne's term as constable. The path from Newbury through the woods of Winnacunnet to the settlement on the Piscataqua River was the scene of a terrible crime. Soon after the "Bound House" was built in 1636, the General Court ordered the constable of Newbury, June 6, 1637, to arrest William Schooler and bring him to Ipswich court. William Schooler was a vintner from London.
A young woman, Mary Sholy, of Newbury, needed someone to guide her to Pascataquack, where the man for whom she was to work was living. Hearing of this, Schooler contacted her and agreed to take her there for fifteen shillings. But, two days later, he returned. Asked why he returned so soon, he answered that he had taken her within two or three miles of the place and that she would go no further. At Ipswich, the magistrates were suspicious of his story, but with no evidence of foul play, he was let go. About six months after his release, the body of Mary Sholy was found by an Indian in a thick swamp ten miles from the place where he said he had left her. He was again arrested, and arraigned on the charge of murder. He told many contradictory stories, denounced his accusers, and declared his innocence; but the court held in Boston on September 19,1637, found him guilty. He was hung at Boston September 28, 1637.
In general, the constable was responsible for carrying out the orders of the "seven men" or the decisions of the town meetings. The constable would be responsible for collecting the fines that were levied, drawing up the lists for taxation, or performing duties such as this. The Town records for April 14,1638 read "It is ordered that Richard Brown, the constable, shall cause a sufficient pound to be made by the twenty first of this month to impound swyne and other cattell, in the place that shall be shewed him and of the largeness which shall be thought fit". The records show that often one of the "seven men" was chosen to act as constable. Richard Browne was selected to serve as one of the select men repeatedly for several years. The town did not always choose seven men. Sometimes it chose three or five to order its affairs.
The nature of the agreements the select men entered into is seen in this one made on August 6, 1638. Richard was one of the four formulating the agreement. " It is agreed with Mr. Richard Dummer of Newbury by the persons whose names are hereunto subscribed that in case Mr. Dummer doe make his mill to grynd corne and doe so maintayne the same, as also doe keepe a man to attend the grynding of corne, then they for their parts will send thither all the corne that they shall have ground; and doe likewise promise that all the rest of the Toune (if it lye in their power to procure the same) shall also bring their corne from tyme to tyme to be ground at the said mill; and it is further agreed that (the 'forementioned condicion being observed by Mr. Dummer) there shall not any other mill be erected within the said Toune." Currier: History of Newbury p 38-39.
Being a select man or functioning as constable did not exclude a person from the laws established by the town. The records indicate that on October 16, 1637, Richard Browne was listed among fourteen men who had fences that were judged to be defective. The record reads "The men heere underwritten have promised under their hands to pay according as it is sett downe for defect of fences when they shall be called on for it." Five of the men were fined ten shillings. Richard and his brother George were among the nine who were fined five shillings. The reason for the fines was that " It was agreed (February 24, 1637) that all generall ffences about the house lotts shall be made by the last day of March on the penalty of 5 shillings for each default, provided that every one's portion shall be layd out and bounded by stakes by men appoynted for this purpose in convenient time."
Town Meetings
The Town Meetings were held as often as once every three months. Every person entitled to vote was expected to be present at the place and time announced. A fine of two shillings and a six pence was levied against those who were absent from the meetings. Rules were adopted for the orderly transaction of business. Those who violated them were liable to a fine. Every freeholder who spoke at the town meeting was required to stand up, take off his hat, address the moderator in a respectful manner, and resume his seat again at the close of his speech. No one, unless excused by a vote of those present, could leave the meeting until the business for which it was called was concluded and the meeting adjourned. On May 5, 1638 John Pike was ordered to pay two shillings and six pence "for departing from the meeting without leave and contemptuosly."
The select men had to meet frequently. Uncertainty about the time and place of their meetings was a cause of inconvenience to those who wished to meet with them to present concerns. This led to the establishment of stated meetings. Richard participated in the forming of the following policy. " For the better ordering of all towne affaires it is thought that certain times and places of meeting should be appoynted which may be publickly knowne, to the end that not only those to whom the charge of town affairs is committed may make their constant and careful attendance, but likewise that any other that hath any occasion of business with the towne may know where and when to make their desires knowne. And for the present it is agreed that there shall be a constant meeting kept (till further order be taken) every second Thursday at Henry Short's house, beginning at 8 of the clock in the morning, and so continued as the time and seasons shall require. And for the more orderly and considerate proceeding it was likewise ordered that what things are proposed any one meeting day shall not ordinarily be answered till the next meeting unless in cases of some moment or in cases that require speedy answer."
The Establishment of Law and Order
"The Great and General Court of Massachusetts" was the legal authority to which the towns and the residents of the Bay colony were accountable. The rulings of the court give insight into the nature of daily life. A concern shared by the court and the residents of the towns was the establishment of law and order. In 1637, the court ordered the freemen of every town to make a list of laws necessary for the protection of life and property in the colony, and send a copy to the General Court for approval or rejection "as the court shall adjudge." In Newbury, two men were appointed by the town meeting to draw up such a list to be discussed at a town meeting and then be submitted to the General Court.
Permission Required
In 1635-6, the court ruled that any person who built a house without permission, in any town in the colony, "the inhabitants of said towne shall have power to demolishe the said howse and remove the p'sons (persons)”. In Newbury the order was adopted. Sometime later, "it was agreed that Edward Rawson, Richard Browne, and John Knight shall goe and, according to former agreement which the towne had with Thomas Cromwell, take possession of the half acker whereon he had builded a cowe house without their leave." (Town of Newbury Records)
The Safety of the Colonists
Concerned for the safety of the colonists, the General Court ordered on March 9, 1636-7, as a precaution against attacks by Indians, "that the military in every towne shall pvide (provide) that watches bee dewly kept in places most fit for comon safetie." In compliance with this order, the freemen of Newbury voted to build a walk sixteen feet wide "on the top of the great hill." This location gave those on duty as sentinels an unobstructed view of the surrounding countryside.
On March 9, 1636-7, the General Court enacted a law that required every able bodied man above the age of eighteen years of age to attend meeting on the Lord's Day "with their musketts, or other peeces fit for servise, furnished with match, powder, and bullets, upon paine of 12d (pence) for every default."
In June 1638, all the able bodied men of Newbury were enrolled into four companies. They were required "to bring their armes compleat one Sabbath day in a month and on the lecture day following, and stand sentinell at the doores all the time of the public meeting." The men also carried their arms with them into the fields to protect them as they worked. Indian raids on the colonists and the "Pequot War" of 1637 were the cause for all this caution and preparedness. In the Pequot War, the colonists attacked the Pequot's fort on May 26. The war ended after a second attack was made in June. One hundred sixty men were sent to engage in the conflict. Eight of them were from Newbury.
Gun Powder Manufactured
On June 6, 1639, the General Court authorized the importation of saltpetre into the colony, to be used in the manufacture of gunpowder. Later, on June 14, 1642, steps were taken to secure a supply from domestic sources. Every town was required to provide a suitable house for the making of saltpetre. This order was amended three months later. The selectmen of every town were required to see that every householder, or every two or three householders, joined together, should provide "for the breeding of salt peeter in some house for poultry, or the like." (Currier, History of Newbury P. 76) The product was to be delivered on a yearly basis to the agents of the colony and paid for at a reasonable price. Edmund Greenleaf was appointed to superintend this business for the town of Newbury. (After the death of his wife, Edith, Richard Browne married Edmund Greenleaf's daughter, Elizabeth, widow of Giles Badger.)
Class Consciousness
Another concern of the court was the recognition of the status of people in the colony. This is seen in the court's attempt in 1651 to regulate the fashions of the people by prescribing what certain classes of people should not wear, and what exceptions should be made to this rule. The General Court expressed concern that "men of mean conditions and callings" were wearing the garb of gentlemen by "wearing gold or silver lace or buttons... or " women of the same rank" were wearing silk or tiffany hoods or scarves. (Tiffany hoods or scarves, made of silk or muslin, were so called because they were worn on Epiphany, January 6, commemorating the visit of the wisemen to see Jesus.) Wearing the garb of gentlemen or women was permissible to persons of greater estate or education, but not to those who had not yet reached that level. Excepted from this order were " magistrates or any publick officer of the jurisdiction, their wives and children, military officers or soldiers, or any other whose education or employment have been above the ordinary degree, or whose estates have been considerable, though now decayed, or who were not worth two hundred pounds. No person should transgress this law under penalty of 10 shillings."
In 1653, Nicholas Noyes' wife, Hugh March's wife, and William Chandler's wife were brought to court for wearing silk hoods and scarves. They were discharged on proof that their husbands were worth two hundred pounds each. John Hutchin's wife, also accused of wearing silk, was discharged because she had been brought up above the ordinary rank. Joseph Swett's wife did not fare as well. For the same offense, she was fined 10 shillings. Legislation of this kind was doomed to failure as the colonists became more and more concerned about individual liberties. It was this concern that began to transform the Puritans into Yankees.
Items of Interest
Other items of interest and conversation for the residents of Newbury were the arrival of Dr. Clarke, the first doctor to make his residence there; the fine levied against the town by the General Court because the town had not built stocks in which to place persons as punishment for certain crimes; the starting of the first school, held in the meeting house, in 1635; the introduction of the plow as an agricultural tool. About thirty ploughs were in use in Massachusetts in 1636. By 1640, it was estimated that about four thousand families, making a population of 21,200, were in the colony.
Richard and Edith Browne’s Family
Richard and Edith Browne were the parents of four children. Joseph and Margery were probably born in Newbury, but the town records do not record their births. In a will dated May 20, 1642, George Browne, Richard's brother makes bequests to "nephews Margery and Joshua" and gives to Joseph, son of Richard, a share in the mill at Salisbury. Joseph was the oldest child. He was under eighteen in 1642. One record states that he died early; another, that he died in 1661. Margery's death occurred on March 26, 1651.Joshua was born in Newbury on April 10, 1642, a few weeks before his uncle George named him in his will. Caleb was born on May 7, 1645. He was almost two years old when his mother died in April 1647. The cause of her death was probably due to the epidemic that swept through the country that year. It took a heavy toll among the Indians, the English, the French, and the Dutch. Governor Winthrop noted "Not a family, nor but a few persons, escaped." Richard was left with his four children, Caleb, almost two, Joshua, five, and Margery and Joseph. The later two were now old enough to assume some responsibility for helping with the younger children and assisting with household duties.
After Edith’s Death, Richard Marries Elizabeth
It was in all probability the 1647 epidemic that took the life of Giles Badger, leaving his wife Elizabeth Greenleaf Badger a widow with a son, John, aged four. On February 16, 1648, Richard and Elizabeth were married. Five children were born to them. Elizabeth, born March 29,1649; Richard, born Feb.18,1650; Edmund, born July 17, 1654; Sarah, born September 7, 1657; and Mary, born April 10, 1660.
Edmund Greenleaf’s Petition
Richard's name does not appear in Newbury records as one of the selectmen or as constable in the years after the death of Edith and his marriage to Elizabeth. This could be because his time was taken up in providing for his growing family. There may be another reason as well. It could be that he no longer continued to serve as a selectman or other town office because of his reaction to the town's indifference to the petition signed by Edmund Greenleaf in 1646. In this petition, Greenleaf and others proposed, and documented the need for, the establishment of a meeting house in the west end of Newbury. The petition included a request for a minister to serve that part of the town and suggested the means by which these requests could become a reality. The petition was ignored. This was probably due to a desire to keep things the way they were, but it failed to recognize the changes that growth was bringing to the town. If Richard Brown's and Edmund Greenleaf's positions were the same, there is little likelihood that Richard or persons with that view would be elected to serve as selectmen to direct the affairs of the town. The position held by Greenleaf, and probably Richard, was certainly the one later espoused over a period of many years by Richard's son, Joshua.It embroiled him in controversy throughout his adult life and led to his break with puritanism. Richard died in Newbury on April 26, 1661, leaving an estate valued at 634 pounds, 3 shillings. His wife Elizabeth survived him and was his widow in 1678."
Thomas Browne was born near Malford, England, in 1607, and died in Newbury, New England, Jan. 8, 1687."
It goes on to name some children, and the Moses of this sketch is a grandchild.
If this is accurate, it is possible that the four men named are brothers.
http://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/maryjohn2.htm
Lists the passengers who signed the oath of allegiance before leaving London. It says:
Browne Richard
Browne Mrs. Edith
Browne George, son of Richard Browne
List of Freemen of Massachusetts, 1630 - 1691. Lucius R. Paige. Clearfield, Baltimore, 1998. Originally published in The Register III, January, April, July, October 1849 as "List of Freemen", on pg 10, has lists of men who desire to be made "ffreemen". On 19 Oct 1630 is Mr. Rich. Browne and on 18 May 1631, the list indicated that he took the oath of freeman. He is again listed on May 6, 1635. Did he make an earlier trip to America, return for his wife and brother, and come back with them? He must have been here to be on the list.
Art Brown writes this about Richard Browne, starting on pg. 59 of his story:
"The year 1634 was a time of new beginnings for Richard and Edith Browne. They were saying good bye to family members, leaving what they knew, and were moving to an area, which they had not seen, but which they believed held promise for them. They were going with a group of friends who were bound together by a common purpose: to create a community based on their religious convictions. The ship on which they were to sail to New England was the "Mary and John", a vessel of four hundred tons. Disturbed by a report that many of his subjects were leaving England to secure civil and religious liberty, King Charles 1 decided that ten ships ready to sail be detained. On February 14, the King's Privy Council ordered that the" Mary and John" be confined in the river Thames until the men sailing on board her sign an Oath of Supremacy and Allegiance. By this, they would acknowledge the sovereignty of the king over them in the land to which they were sailing.
The Voyage
On the 24 or 26 of March 1634, Richard Browne and his brother George, along with others, took the oath of allegiance to their sovereign, and were allowed to sail for New England. Robert Sayers was the ship's master. A condition for sailing laid down by the king was that Sayers conduct, for passengers and crew, daily readings of the prayers of the Church of England. After a voyage of several weeks, the ship arrived at Boston in the month of May 1634. (The crossing by the " Mary and John" in 1630 took seventy days.) Richard had left behind in England his father, two sisters, and a brother, Michael. A footnote in the New England Historical Genealogical Register (page 374, vol.3) mentions a Sir Walston Browne, a young knight in the household of Henry the 8th, as a supposed ancestor. Richard's wife was Edith Holt.
Puritans
Those sailing on the "Mary and John" were Puritans. The Puritans looked to the Bible as an infallible guide for faith and practice. They desired that English Protestantism be purified from all the forms of faith and worship that were not found in the New Testament. The puritan ethic emphasized a strong sense of duty and promoted courage, self-reliance, prudence, thrift, and good works. It came into being as an effort to correct the loose morals of Elizabethan England. It produced some of the strongest leaders in English history as well as the men and women who were among the first settlers of New England.
Many in the group on board the "Mary and John" were from Wiltshire, Berkshire, and Gloucestershire. Their leader was the Reverend Thomas Parker. Parker's father, Robert Parker, was a clergyman who had done well under the reign of Queen Elizabeth. Cotton Mather describes him as " one of the greatest scholars of the English nation." But with a new monarch on the throne, the Puritans were not in favor. Robert Parker was removed from his pastoral responsibilities for non- conformity. Under these circumstances, Parker's son, Thomas, saw no future in England for himself or those who believed as he did. The new colonies of the Massachusetts Bay Company offered a haven for his religious point of view and those who shared it.
Arriving in Boston, Parker and his group moved on to Ipswich (Agawam). The group remained there through the winter. While they were there, Richard purchased property and built a house "lying neer the great cove of the town river." This house was sold at a later date to Richard Saltonstall, (The Hammet Papers page 38) probably after Richard Browne and his family were settled in Newbury. Since Richard's brother, George, was a carpenter, it is probable that he helped in the building of the house and perhaps he and his wife lived with Richard's family during the stay in Ipswich.
First Settlers of Newbury
In the spring of 1635 a boat load of people, including the families of Richard and George, went by water through Plum sound and followed a river which the Indians called Quascacunquen to the area that was to become their home. Later, they changed the name of the river to Parker, after their leader. They named the new settlement they were establishing "Newbury", because Parker had been a teacher in England in a community with that name. Newbury was the tenth town to be established in the colony.
The first houses in Newbury were temporary structures, roofed with thatch. This type of roof, combined with chimneys made of sticks coated with mud, created the danger of fire. As a safeguard, ladders at each house provided access to the roof. The meeting house bell was rung each night at 9 o'clock to signal the inhabitants to cover the fires in their fireplaces. Later, new, well-built houses were constructed, using timbers of oak or other hard wood. The nails, bolts, and hinges were made by the local blacksmith.
Preparing the land for farming, obtaining food from fishing, caring for the cattle and sheep they had brought over on another ship, the exercise of religious faith, the establishment of government, providing security in the wilderness, became the order of the day. One of the first things they did was to organize a church and select Thomas Parker as their pastor. They selected James Noyes, Parker's nephew and also a clergyman, as assistant pastor. A plan was drawn up showing the lots that were laid out on which the first settlers were to build their homes. At the center of the town was the green. On it was built the meetinghouse where they met for church and for town meetings. The lots were drawn up surrounding the green and the meetinghouse, providing easy access for the town people. Thomas Parker's lot was adjacent to the green as was Richard Browne's. It was also next to Parker's. A sketch of the plan of the lots laid out for the first settlers of Newbury in 1635 is reproduced in Currier's "Ould Newbury" on page 14.
The site for the new community was a desirable one. It had been selected earlier as an area to be developed by a group of Presbyterians who were sailing from Scotland to establish a colony at this location. They were forced to turn back mid-way on their journey when they ran into adverse conditions. The strategy the English had adopted was to colonize this part of North America with Englishmen so that the French, who were further north, would not attempt to take it from them.
Allocation of Land
Joshua Coffin tells how land was allocated to the first settlers of Newbury in his "Sketch of the History of Newbury" page 19. "In the division of the land throughout the town, the first settlers recognized the scripture rule, 'to him that hath shall be given,' and the wealth of each of the grantees, as well as others of the first settlers, can be very nearly estimated, by the number of acres of land, which were granted them." Each of the first settlers was granted a house lot of at least four acres along with a suitable quantity of salt and fresh meadow. With the exception of those whose wealth entitled them to more, most of the grants varied in size from ten to eighty acres. Many later wealthy settlers obtained their land by purchase.
“Liberty to Chuse Prudential Men”
For a year or more all the business of the town was transacted by the group as a whole in the town meetings. This changed in 1636 when the Court that had oversight of all the towns in the Massachusetts Bay Colony recognized the difficulty of towns taking care of every item of business that came up for discussion and decision. They enacted legislation that "every particular township should have power over its own affairs, and liberty to chuse prudential men, not exceeding seven, to order the affaires of the towne." Newbury decided to take advantage of this and selected seven men to look after its affairs. Richard Browne was one of the seven chosen. The Reverend Richard Brown, grandson of Richard and Edith, wrote in his diary "They were chosen from quarter to quarter by papers to discharge the business of the town, in taking in, or refusing any to come, into town, as also to dispose lands and lots, to make lawful orders, to impose fines on the breakers of orders, and also to levy and distrain them, and were fully impowered of themselves to do what the town had power for to do. The reason whereof was, the town judged it inconvenient and burdensome to be called together on every occasion." (Coffin, page 19)
Richard Browne, Selectman and Constable
One function the town continued to perform was the choosing of a constable. From the town records, it appears that Richard Browne was one of the first to be chosen to perform this duty. The records for the town of Newbury prior to 1637 are meager and incomplete. The earliest record relating to constables is found in the record dated April 19, 1638. It indicates that "John Knight and James Browne were chosen constables for one whole year and till new be chosen, and Richard Browne, the last constable, is discharged ". Richard was probably chosen to serve in April 1637 or before. Currier, in his History of Newbury, page 45, relates an incident that happened during Richard Browne's term as constable. The path from Newbury through the woods of Winnacunnet to the settlement on the Piscataqua River was the scene of a terrible crime. Soon after the "Bound House" was built in 1636, the General Court ordered the constable of Newbury, June 6, 1637, to arrest William Schooler and bring him to Ipswich court. William Schooler was a vintner from London.
A young woman, Mary Sholy, of Newbury, needed someone to guide her to Pascataquack, where the man for whom she was to work was living. Hearing of this, Schooler contacted her and agreed to take her there for fifteen shillings. But, two days later, he returned. Asked why he returned so soon, he answered that he had taken her within two or three miles of the place and that she would go no further. At Ipswich, the magistrates were suspicious of his story, but with no evidence of foul play, he was let go. About six months after his release, the body of Mary Sholy was found by an Indian in a thick swamp ten miles from the place where he said he had left her. He was again arrested, and arraigned on the charge of murder. He told many contradictory stories, denounced his accusers, and declared his innocence; but the court held in Boston on September 19,1637, found him guilty. He was hung at Boston September 28, 1637.
In general, the constable was responsible for carrying out the orders of the "seven men" or the decisions of the town meetings. The constable would be responsible for collecting the fines that were levied, drawing up the lists for taxation, or performing duties such as this. The Town records for April 14,1638 read "It is ordered that Richard Brown, the constable, shall cause a sufficient pound to be made by the twenty first of this month to impound swyne and other cattell, in the place that shall be shewed him and of the largeness which shall be thought fit". The records show that often one of the "seven men" was chosen to act as constable. Richard Browne was selected to serve as one of the select men repeatedly for several years. The town did not always choose seven men. Sometimes it chose three or five to order its affairs.
The nature of the agreements the select men entered into is seen in this one made on August 6, 1638. Richard was one of the four formulating the agreement. " It is agreed with Mr. Richard Dummer of Newbury by the persons whose names are hereunto subscribed that in case Mr. Dummer doe make his mill to grynd corne and doe so maintayne the same, as also doe keepe a man to attend the grynding of corne, then they for their parts will send thither all the corne that they shall have ground; and doe likewise promise that all the rest of the Toune (if it lye in their power to procure the same) shall also bring their corne from tyme to tyme to be ground at the said mill; and it is further agreed that (the 'forementioned condicion being observed by Mr. Dummer) there shall not any other mill be erected within the said Toune." Currier: History of Newbury p 38-39.
Being a select man or functioning as constable did not exclude a person from the laws established by the town. The records indicate that on October 16, 1637, Richard Browne was listed among fourteen men who had fences that were judged to be defective. The record reads "The men heere underwritten have promised under their hands to pay according as it is sett downe for defect of fences when they shall be called on for it." Five of the men were fined ten shillings. Richard and his brother George were among the nine who were fined five shillings. The reason for the fines was that " It was agreed (February 24, 1637) that all generall ffences about the house lotts shall be made by the last day of March on the penalty of 5 shillings for each default, provided that every one's portion shall be layd out and bounded by stakes by men appoynted for this purpose in convenient time."
Town Meetings
The Town Meetings were held as often as once every three months. Every person entitled to vote was expected to be present at the place and time announced. A fine of two shillings and a six pence was levied against those who were absent from the meetings. Rules were adopted for the orderly transaction of business. Those who violated them were liable to a fine. Every freeholder who spoke at the town meeting was required to stand up, take off his hat, address the moderator in a respectful manner, and resume his seat again at the close of his speech. No one, unless excused by a vote of those present, could leave the meeting until the business for which it was called was concluded and the meeting adjourned. On May 5, 1638 John Pike was ordered to pay two shillings and six pence "for departing from the meeting without leave and contemptuosly."
The select men had to meet frequently. Uncertainty about the time and place of their meetings was a cause of inconvenience to those who wished to meet with them to present concerns. This led to the establishment of stated meetings. Richard participated in the forming of the following policy. " For the better ordering of all towne affaires it is thought that certain times and places of meeting should be appoynted which may be publickly knowne, to the end that not only those to whom the charge of town affairs is committed may make their constant and careful attendance, but likewise that any other that hath any occasion of business with the towne may know where and when to make their desires knowne. And for the present it is agreed that there shall be a constant meeting kept (till further order be taken) every second Thursday at Henry Short's house, beginning at 8 of the clock in the morning, and so continued as the time and seasons shall require. And for the more orderly and considerate proceeding it was likewise ordered that what things are proposed any one meeting day shall not ordinarily be answered till the next meeting unless in cases of some moment or in cases that require speedy answer."
The Establishment of Law and Order
"The Great and General Court of Massachusetts" was the legal authority to which the towns and the residents of the Bay colony were accountable. The rulings of the court give insight into the nature of daily life. A concern shared by the court and the residents of the towns was the establishment of law and order. In 1637, the court ordered the freemen of every town to make a list of laws necessary for the protection of life and property in the colony, and send a copy to the General Court for approval or rejection "as the court shall adjudge." In Newbury, two men were appointed by the town meeting to draw up such a list to be discussed at a town meeting and then be submitted to the General Court.
Permission Required
In 1635-6, the court ruled that any person who built a house without permission, in any town in the colony, "the inhabitants of said towne shall have power to demolishe the said howse and remove the p'sons (persons)”. In Newbury the order was adopted. Sometime later, "it was agreed that Edward Rawson, Richard Browne, and John Knight shall goe and, according to former agreement which the towne had with Thomas Cromwell, take possession of the half acker whereon he had builded a cowe house without their leave." (Town of Newbury Records)
The Safety of the Colonists
Concerned for the safety of the colonists, the General Court ordered on March 9, 1636-7, as a precaution against attacks by Indians, "that the military in every towne shall pvide (provide) that watches bee dewly kept in places most fit for comon safetie." In compliance with this order, the freemen of Newbury voted to build a walk sixteen feet wide "on the top of the great hill." This location gave those on duty as sentinels an unobstructed view of the surrounding countryside.
On March 9, 1636-7, the General Court enacted a law that required every able bodied man above the age of eighteen years of age to attend meeting on the Lord's Day "with their musketts, or other peeces fit for servise, furnished with match, powder, and bullets, upon paine of 12d (pence) for every default."
In June 1638, all the able bodied men of Newbury were enrolled into four companies. They were required "to bring their armes compleat one Sabbath day in a month and on the lecture day following, and stand sentinell at the doores all the time of the public meeting." The men also carried their arms with them into the fields to protect them as they worked. Indian raids on the colonists and the "Pequot War" of 1637 were the cause for all this caution and preparedness. In the Pequot War, the colonists attacked the Pequot's fort on May 26. The war ended after a second attack was made in June. One hundred sixty men were sent to engage in the conflict. Eight of them were from Newbury.
Gun Powder Manufactured
On June 6, 1639, the General Court authorized the importation of saltpetre into the colony, to be used in the manufacture of gunpowder. Later, on June 14, 1642, steps were taken to secure a supply from domestic sources. Every town was required to provide a suitable house for the making of saltpetre. This order was amended three months later. The selectmen of every town were required to see that every householder, or every two or three householders, joined together, should provide "for the breeding of salt peeter in some house for poultry, or the like." (Currier, History of Newbury P. 76) The product was to be delivered on a yearly basis to the agents of the colony and paid for at a reasonable price. Edmund Greenleaf was appointed to superintend this business for the town of Newbury. (After the death of his wife, Edith, Richard Browne married Edmund Greenleaf's daughter, Elizabeth, widow of Giles Badger.)
Class Consciousness
Another concern of the court was the recognition of the status of people in the colony. This is seen in the court's attempt in 1651 to regulate the fashions of the people by prescribing what certain classes of people should not wear, and what exceptions should be made to this rule. The General Court expressed concern that "men of mean conditions and callings" were wearing the garb of gentlemen by "wearing gold or silver lace or buttons... or " women of the same rank" were wearing silk or tiffany hoods or scarves. (Tiffany hoods or scarves, made of silk or muslin, were so called because they were worn on Epiphany, January 6, commemorating the visit of the wisemen to see Jesus.) Wearing the garb of gentlemen or women was permissible to persons of greater estate or education, but not to those who had not yet reached that level. Excepted from this order were " magistrates or any publick officer of the jurisdiction, their wives and children, military officers or soldiers, or any other whose education or employment have been above the ordinary degree, or whose estates have been considerable, though now decayed, or who were not worth two hundred pounds. No person should transgress this law under penalty of 10 shillings."
In 1653, Nicholas Noyes' wife, Hugh March's wife, and William Chandler's wife were brought to court for wearing silk hoods and scarves. They were discharged on proof that their husbands were worth two hundred pounds each. John Hutchin's wife, also accused of wearing silk, was discharged because she had been brought up above the ordinary rank. Joseph Swett's wife did not fare as well. For the same offense, she was fined 10 shillings. Legislation of this kind was doomed to failure as the colonists became more and more concerned about individual liberties. It was this concern that began to transform the Puritans into Yankees.
Items of Interest
Other items of interest and conversation for the residents of Newbury were the arrival of Dr. Clarke, the first doctor to make his residence there; the fine levied against the town by the General Court because the town had not built stocks in which to place persons as punishment for certain crimes; the starting of the first school, held in the meeting house, in 1635; the introduction of the plow as an agricultural tool. About thirty ploughs were in use in Massachusetts in 1636. By 1640, it was estimated that about four thousand families, making a population of 21,200, were in the colony.
Richard and Edith Browne’s Family
Richard and Edith Browne were the parents of four children. Joseph and Margery were probably born in Newbury, but the town records do not record their births. In a will dated May 20, 1642, George Browne, Richard's brother makes bequests to "nephews Margery and Joshua" and gives to Joseph, son of Richard, a share in the mill at Salisbury. Joseph was the oldest child. He was under eighteen in 1642. One record states that he died early; another, that he died in 1661. Margery's death occurred on March 26, 1651.Joshua was born in Newbury on April 10, 1642, a few weeks before his uncle George named him in his will. Caleb was born on May 7, 1645. He was almost two years old when his mother died in April 1647. The cause of her death was probably due to the epidemic that swept through the country that year. It took a heavy toll among the Indians, the English, the French, and the Dutch. Governor Winthrop noted "Not a family, nor but a few persons, escaped." Richard was left with his four children, Caleb, almost two, Joshua, five, and Margery and Joseph. The later two were now old enough to assume some responsibility for helping with the younger children and assisting with household duties.
After Edith’s Death, Richard Marries Elizabeth
It was in all probability the 1647 epidemic that took the life of Giles Badger, leaving his wife Elizabeth Greenleaf Badger a widow with a son, John, aged four. On February 16, 1648, Richard and Elizabeth were married. Five children were born to them. Elizabeth, born March 29,1649; Richard, born Feb.18,1650; Edmund, born July 17, 1654; Sarah, born September 7, 1657; and Mary, born April 10, 1660.
Edmund Greenleaf’s Petition
Richard's name does not appear in Newbury records as one of the selectmen or as constable in the years after the death of Edith and his marriage to Elizabeth. This could be because his time was taken up in providing for his growing family. There may be another reason as well. It could be that he no longer continued to serve as a selectman or other town office because of his reaction to the town's indifference to the petition signed by Edmund Greenleaf in 1646. In this petition, Greenleaf and others proposed, and documented the need for, the establishment of a meeting house in the west end of Newbury. The petition included a request for a minister to serve that part of the town and suggested the means by which these requests could become a reality. The petition was ignored. This was probably due to a desire to keep things the way they were, but it failed to recognize the changes that growth was bringing to the town. If Richard Brown's and Edmund Greenleaf's positions were the same, there is little likelihood that Richard or persons with that view would be elected to serve as selectmen to direct the affairs of the town. The position held by Greenleaf, and probably Richard, was certainly the one later espoused over a period of many years by Richard's son, Joshua.It embroiled him in controversy throughout his adult life and led to his break with puritanism. Richard died in Newbury on April 26, 1661, leaving an estate valued at 634 pounds, 3 shillings. His wife Elizabeth survived him and was his widow in 1678."
Events
| Birth | Bef May 1614 |  | |||
| Emigration | Abt 24 Mar 1633/34 | Ship "Mary and John", London, England | |||
| Marriage | Bet 1 Feb 1648 and 1 Feb 1649 | Newbury, Essex Co., Massachusetts - Elizabeth GREENLEAF |  | ||
| Death | Bet 23 Apr 1661 and 26 Apr 1661 | Newbury, Essex Co., Massachusetts | | ||
| Reference No | 8958 |
Families
| Spouse | Edith HOLT ( - 1647) |
| Child | Joseph BROWNE (1638 - 1661) |
| Child | Margery BROWNE (1640 - 1651) |
| Child | Deacon Joshua BROWN (1642 - 1720) |
| Child | Caleb BROWNE (1645 - ) |
| Spouse | Elizabeth GREENLEAF ( - ) |
| Child | Elizabeth BROWNE (1649 - 1677) |
| Child | Richard BROWNE (1651 - 1674) |
| Child | Edmund BROWNE (1654 - 1677) |
| Child | Sara BROWNE (1657 - ) |
| Child | Mary BROWNE (1660 - ) |
| Father | Mr. BROWNE ( - 1642) |
| Sibling | George BROWNE (1619 - 1642) |
| Sibling | Michael BROWNE ( - ) |
Notes
Birth
He was admitted as a Freeman in Ipswich church 6 May 1635.Endnotes
1. Vital Records of Newbury Massachusetts to the End of the Year1849,Volume 1 - Births (Name: Name: The Essex Institute, Salem, Mass., 1911;;), Pt. 2, pg. 70.
2. Vital Records of Newbury Massachusetts to the End of the Year1849,Volume 1 - Births (Name: Name: The Essex Institute, Salem, Mass., 1911;;), Vol 2, pg. 556.